U.S. patent number 7,010,288 [Application Number 10/140,135] was granted by the patent office on 2006-03-07 for system and method for providing an automatic response to a telephone call.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Cingular Wireless II, LLC. Invention is credited to Umesh Amin, Barbara L. Brown.
United States Patent |
7,010,288 |
Brown , et al. |
March 7, 2006 |
System and method for providing an automatic response to a
telephone call
Abstract
Disclosed embodiments include a system and method for providing
an automatic response to a telephone call. The automatic response
module may be integral to a wireless phone or may be added
afterwards, such as with a plug-in module, or may be provided by a
third party provider, such as on a network. In one embodiment, the
user of a wireless phone may select one or more automatic responses
in the form of pre-recorded messages that will be played to a
caller when an incoming telephone call is received. In another
embodiment, the pre-recorded messages may be text or other
graphical messages. In an alternative embodiment, a selection
algorithm may be used that selects the appropriate automatic
response based on pre-determined criteria, such as information in
the user's calendar, contact list, etc. Many other alternatives and
alternative embodiments are also disclosed.
Inventors: |
Brown; Barbara L. (Seattle,
WA), Amin; Umesh (Redmond, WA) |
Assignee: |
Cingular Wireless II, LLC
(Atlanta, GA)
|
Family
ID: |
33129703 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/140,135 |
Filed: |
May 6, 2002 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20040203794 A1 |
Oct 14, 2004 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/412.1;
455/417; 455/567; 455/550.1; 455/415; 455/413 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M
1/642 (20130101); H04M 1/72451 (20210101); H04M
1/0254 (20130101); H04M 1/7243 (20210101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04L
12/58 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;455/550.1,552.1,569.1,567,415,422.1,412.1,414.4,418-420,563
;379/88.04,88.07,88.16 ;704/270 ;701/36,1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Feild; Joseph
Assistant Examiner: Afshar; Kamran
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Perkins Coie LLP
Claims
We claim:
1. A method of providing an automatic response to an incoming
telephone call with a wireless telephone device, comprising:
receiving an incoming telephone call; receiving a request from a
user to automatically respond to the incoming call; connecting the
incoming telephone call; transmitting a request to an internal
database within the wireless device for additional information;
receiving additional information from the internal database;
selecting a pre-recorded message to be transmitted based at least
partially on the additional information received, wherein the
pre-recorded message is selected from a group of pre-recorded
messages; transmitting the pre-recorded voice message over a voice
path, the voice path being created when the incoming telephone call
was connected; disconnecting the incoming telephone call after the
pre-recorded voice message has been transmitted without accepting a
voice message from a caller; and creating an entry in a log
indicating that the incoming telephone call was automatically
responded to; wherein the request from the user is either in
response to and during an incoming telephone call or is received
before the incoming telephone call is received.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an indication
of the identity of the phone number associated with the telephone
making the incoming call before receiving the request from the
user.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the internal database contains
information about the user's schedule, and wherein further the
additional information includes information concerning a scheduled
current activity of the user.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the internal database contains
information about the user's contacts, and wherein further the
additional information includes information concerning an identity
of the person making the incoming call.
5. A method, for use with a wireless phone, of providing an
automatic response to an incoming telephone call, comprising:
receiving a request from a user that incoming telephone calls are
to be automatically responded to; at the wireless phone, receiving
an incoming telephone call; connecting the incoming telephone call
to the wireless phone; employing a reseonse algorithm to select a
pre-recorded voice message, wherein the pre-recorded voice message
is selected from a plurality of pre-recorder voice messages saved
in an internal database within the wireless phone; transmitting the
pre-recorded voice message over a voice path, the voice path being
created when the incoming telephone call was connected to the
wireless phone; and disconnecting the incoming telephone call after
the pre-recorded voice message has been transmitted without
accepting a voice message from a caller.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising creating an entry in a
log indicating that the incoming telephone call was automatically
responded to.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein employing a response algorithm
further comprises: transmitting a request to an internal database
for additional information; receiving additional information from
the internal database; and selecting the pre-recorded message to be
transmitted based at least partially on the additional information
received.
8. The method of claim 5: wherein employing a response algorithm
further comprises: transmitting a request to an internal database
for additional information, the internal database containing
information about the users schedule; receiving additional
information from the internal database; and selecting the
pre-recorded message to be transmitted based at least partially on
the additional information received, wherein the additional
information includes information concerning the scheduled current
activity of the user.
9. The method of claim 5 wherein employing a response algorithm
further comprises: transmitting a request to an internal database
for additional information, the internal database containing
information about the users contacts; receiving additional
information from the internal database; receiving an indication of
the identity of the phone number associated with the telephone
making the incoming call; and selecting the pre-recorded message to
be transmitted based at least partially on the additional
information received and the identity information, wherein the
additional information includes information concerning the identity
of the person making the incoming call.
10. A method of providing an automatic response to an incoming
telephone call in a wireless telephone device, comprising:
receiving a request from a user that incoming telephone calls are
to be automatically responded to with a text message; receiving an
incoming telephone call; transmitting a request to an internal
database within the wireless device for additional information
about the user's schedule; receiving additional information from
the internal database; selecting a text message to be transmitted
based at least partially on the additional information received,
wherein the text message is selected from a group of text messages;
transmitting the text message using a text message protocol,
wherein the transmitted text message is selected from a plurality
of text messages; and disconnecting the incoming telephone call
after the text message has been transmitted without accepting a
voice message from a caller.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising creating an entry in
a log indicating that the incoming telephone call was automatically
responded to.
12. The method of claim 10 further wherein the additional
information includes information concerning a scheduled current
activity of the user.
13. The method of claim 10 wherein the selecting a text message to
be transmitted is based at least partially on information
concerning an identity of the person making the incoming call.
14. A wireless telephone device, comprising: means for receiving a
request from a user that incoming telephone calls are to be
automatically responded to; means for receiving an incoming
telephone call; means for connecting the incoming telephone call;
means for selecting a pre-recorded voice message from a plurality
of pre-recorded voice messages saved in an internal database within
the wireless device, wherein the means for selecting comprise a
response algorithm used to select the pre-recorded voice message;
means for transmitting the selected pre-recorded voice message over
a voice path, the voice path being created when the incoming
telephone call was connected; and means for disconnecting the
incoming telephone call after the pre-recorded voice message has
been transmitted without accenting a voice message from a
caller.
15. The wireless device of claim 14, further comprising means for
creating an entry in a log indicating that the incoming telephone
call was automatically responded to.
16. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the wireless device is
a wireless phone.
17. A wireless telephone device, comprising: a housing; a wireless
transceiver for communicating with a publicly switched telephone
network; an output device; an input device, wherein the input
device includes a plurality of auto-response buttons; and an
internal memory module, the internal memory module adapted to store
pre-recorder messages and instructions for permitting a user of the
apparatus to save pre-recorded messages and adapted to store call
response data and a response algorithm used to select one of the
pre-recorded messages to transmit to a caller when an incoming
telephone call is automatically responded to and further adapted to
store a log incoming calls automatically responded to, and wherein
the response algorithm employs, at least in part, the call response
data stored in the internal memory module to determine which of the
one pre-recorded messages to automatically transmit to the caller
based on the incoming telephone call.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the pre-recorded messages are
voice messages.
Description
BACKGROUND
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to devices for
providing an automatic response to a telephone call, such as for a
wireless device.
Cellular mobile telephony, or wireless telephony, provides voice
data links between users of mobile devices and fixed devices on a
network. It gives users using a wireless phone or other wireless
device mobility without regard to how they are actually connected
to the network. This is done by providing access points or base
station units that can hand off the connections of mobile devices
without interruption of the service. 2G (second-generation) digital
mobile phone service such as the Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM), EIA/TIA-136 Time Division Multiple Access
(TDMA), TIA-IS-95 Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and the
AMPS (analog mobile phone service) are examples of such telephone
networks.
Wireless devices are continually increasing in popularity as their
utility increases and as their disadvantages, such as cost and
quality of the wireless connection, decrease. Wireless phones in
particular have become very common, and owners of the wireless
phones often carry these phones with them most of the time.
Wireless phones typically have two states--on or off. When the
phone is turned on, the wireless phone will ring or vibrate when an
incoming call is received. When the phone is turned off, there is
typically a voice mail capability that allows the caller to leave a
voice mail message for the wireless phone owner.
As wireless phones become more and more ubiquitous, the backlash
against them is increasing in intensity. Much of this backlash is
based on the intrusiveness that wireless phones can cause. Wireless
phones are especially intrusive when a ringer goes off in a public
place, such as a theater, restaurant, bus, or other public
facility. Moreover, many people become annoyed when others conduct
conversations on their wireless phones in these public places, as
these conversations often are loud and disruptive.
Many people turn off their wireless phones when in public places
and rely on their voice mail to respond to calls in order to
prevent interfering with others. However, this may result in the
accumulation of a large number of voice mail messages. Moreover,
many wireless phone plans do not include voice mail. Another option
would be for a wireless phone user to change their outgoing message
on their voice mail to inform callers that they are temporarily in
a public place and cannot take the call. However, it is relatively
complicated to change an outgoing message, and many users do not
desire to change their outgoing message each time they go out to
eat, go to a restaurant, etc. It would be desirable to be able to
reduce the time and/or effort, and improving the experience,
associated with responding to a call when users are in a public
place or other location where answering the phone may be
problematic.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a wireless phone with an
auto-response module in a suitable environment in one embodiment of
the invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting an auto-response of an incoming
telephone call in one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting an auto-response of an incoming
telephone call in a first alternative embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting an auto-response of an incoming
telephone call in a second alternative embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting an auto-response of an incoming
telephone call in a third alternative embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting an auto-response of an incoming
telephone call in a fourth alternative embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 7 illustrates the auto-response selection page of the
auto-response system in one embodiment.
In the drawings, the same reference numbers identify identical or
substantially similar elements or acts. To easily identify the
discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant
digit or digits in a reference number refer to the Figure number in
which that element is first introduced, e.g., element 102 is first
introduced and discussed with respect to FIG. 1.
Note that the headings provided herein are for convenience and do
not necessarily affect the scope or interpretation of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A system and method for automatically responding to an incoming
telephone call for a user on a wireless device is provided. In one
embodiment, the system receives an incoming telephone call and then
receives a request from a user to automatically response the
incoming call. The system then connects the incoming telephone call
and transmits a pre-recorded message over the voice path, the voice
path being created when the incoming telephone call was connected.
The system then disconnects the telephone call after the
pre-recorded message has been transmitted. In alternative
embodiments, the user may select from a plurality of pre-recorded
messages. The system may also access a database, such as a
schedule/calendar or a contact list, in order to determine the
appropriate pre-recorded message to be transmitted.
In another alternative embodiment, the user may activate the
automatic response system so that all incoming telephone calls are
automatically responded to. In yet another alternative embodiment,
a text message may be transmitted instead of a voice message.
The system and method for automatically responding to an incoming
telephone call provide numerous benefits over other systems. For
example, a user can easily and flexibly provide a response to
incoming calls without receiving too many voice mail messages and
without disturbing nearby persons. Other benefits are described in
more detail below. In addition, the need to change a user's voice
mail outgoing message to customize the response to individual
telephone calls is lessened or eliminated.
The following description provides specific details for a thorough
understanding of, and an enabling description of, embodiments of
the invention. However, one skilled in the art will understand that
the invention may be practiced without these details. In other
instances, well known structures and functions have not been shown
or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the
description of the embodiments of the invention.
Depicted embodiments of the present invention are intended for use
with any suitable wireless device, such as a wireless phone or
wireless web access device. By way of example, the preferred
embodiments will be described with reference to a wireless phone
100. One skilled in the art would recognize that other wireless
devices are within the scope of the invention, such as a wireless
web access telephone, wireless computer access device,
Internet-enabled PDA, automobile-based web access device, laptop or
palmtop computer, mobile or vehicle-based location-determining
device (e.g., Global Positioning System-based device) or other
portable or mobile communication devices. The wireless phone 100
may be any phone manufactured by, or substantially compatible with
any phone manufactured by, companies such as Nokia, Ericsson,
Motorola, etc. PDA's may be manufactured by, or substantially
compatible with any phone manufactured by, companies such as Palm,
Handspring, etc., or a PDA using the Windows CE, Palm, or other
operating systems.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a wireless phone with an
auto-response module in a suitable environment in one embodiment of
the invention. In FIG. 1, the wireless phone 100 communicates with
a base station 101 via an antenna 116. The base station 101 may be
in communication with a publicly switched telephone network (PSTN)
103 directly, via a mobile switching center (MSC), or via other
facilities or methods. The antenna 116 allows wireless
communications between the wireless phone 100 and a base station
101, access point, or other components of a wireless or cellular
network. The wireless phone 100 typically has a display screen 110
and integral user input controls 106 that are suitably buttons such
as membrane switches. The wireless phone 100 also typically has an
earpiece 112, such as a speaker, and voice input device 104, such
as a microphone, for playing sounds to the user and receiving
sounds from the user, respectively.
The wireless phone of FIG. 1 may also have an integral
auto-response module 108 or a plug-in auto-response module 114. The
auto-response modules 108, 114 may include a digital signal
processor (DSP) chip that may be adapted to store one or more voice
or text messages to be sent in response to an incoming telephone
call. One skilled in the art will recognize that many embodiments
are possible, including auto-response modules including a SIM card,
modules that attached via a headset or other port, other storage or
recordable media devices, a module that communicates with the
wireless phone 100 via a wireless protocol such as Bluetooth,
utilization of the integral memory of the wireless phone 100 to
store outgoing messages, etc. In another embodiment, much of the
functionality could be provided on the network (e.g., intercepting
and responding to calls before it even reaches the wireless phone),
but this may result in undesirably high network traffic.
The wireless phone 100 may also have one or more integral
auto-response selector buttons 118. As described in more detail
below, the auto-response selector buttons 118 may be used to turn
on the auto-response function or to select a particular message to
be used for the auto-response, or may even be used to choose a
selection algorithm for customized auto-response selection. In an
alternative embodiment, the auto-response selector buttons 118 may
be located on the plug-in auto-response module 114 or in another
location. In yet another alternative embodiment, the auto-response
selector buttons 118 may have other functions on the wireless phone
100 (such as may occur when pre-existing buttons are reprogrammed
to also function as auto-response selectors).
In one embodiment, the auto-response modules 108, 114 may be
located within a housing or other structure. In this embodiment,
the integral auto-response selector buttons 118 may be accessible
to a user from outside the housing, such as via cut-outs or other
methodologies.
In another embodiment, the wireless phone 100 may utilize `soft
keys` or soft buttons instead of auto-response selector buttons
118. In this embodiment, soft menus (e.g., menus created via
software) are displayed on the display screen 110 and a user may
select choices from these menus. This embodiment provides an easily
changeable and customizable solution that does not require any
hardware changes.
Unless described otherwise below, the construction and operation of
the various blocks shown in FIG. 1 and the other Figures are of
conventional design. As a result, such blocks need not be described
in further detail beyond that provided herein, because they will be
understood by those skilled in the relevant art. Such further
detail is omitted for brevity and so as not to obscure the detailed
description of the invention. Any modifications necessary to the
blocks in FIG. 1 (or other Figures and embodiments) can be readily
made by one skilled in the relevant art based on the detailed
description provided herein.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting an auto-response of an incoming
telephone call in one embodiment of the invention. The
auto-response of FIG. 2 may be used when a user has a wireless
phone 100 that is turned on and desires to ignore an incoming call
and have the call automatically responded to. In block 202, the
wireless phone 100 receives an incoming telephone call. A user may
recognize that an incoming call is being received by the activation
of a ringer, vibration device, visual notification (such as a
light, text message, etc.), etc. In block 204, a user actuates a
key or key sequence to request an auto-response to the incoming
phone call. For example, a user could select an auto-response
button 118 on their wireless phone 100 when their phone starts
ringing, which would stop the ringing of the phone and initiate the
auto-response sequence. In this way, the disruptive noise of the
wireless phone 100 would be minimized.
In block 206, the incoming telephone call is connected. In one
embodiment, the incoming telephone is connected in the same fashion
as any incoming call would be connected. In block 208, the voice
input device 104 and any output devices, such as a ringer, may be
disabled so as to prevent unnecessary sounds and to prevent the
user from being heard by the initiator of the incoming telephone
call. The function continues in block 210, where an auto-response
message is transmitted over the voicepath. Typically, the
auto-response message is recorded earlier by the user for later
use. For example, a user could record an auto-response message that
said "Sorry, I can't answer the phone now as I'm at dinner, but
I'll call you back after 7 p.m." before going to dinner. In this
fashion, a user could easily customize the auto-response message,
if desired. In block 212, the call is disconnected. From the point
of view of the person making the incoming telephone call, the line
will be picked-up, the auto-response message will play, and then
the line will be disconnected. This eliminates the need for the
person to leave a voicemail or other message. However, information
identifying the caller or the phone number of the caller (perhaps
gathered from caller identification (ID)/automatic number
identification (ANI) information) may be recorded so that the user
will know the identity of the caller for any calls that are
automatically responded to.
In one alternative embodiment, auto-response messages or other
items may be electronically transferred to the wireless phone 100
via a network, e-mail, infrared, or other electronic transfer
method. For example, a user could download default messages,
customized (and perhaps copyrighted) content, etc.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting an auto-response of an incoming
telephone call in a first alternative embodiment of the invention.
The embodiment depicted in FIG. 3 is a modification of the
embodiment of FIG. 2. In general, alternatives and alternative
embodiments described herein are substantially similar to
previously described embodiments, and common elements and functions
are identified by the same reference numbers. Only significant
differences in construction or operation are described in detail.
In block 302 of FIG. 3, the user requests that incoming telephone
calls be automatically responded to before an incoming call is
received. As in block 204, the user may request this function by
actuating a key or key sequence that is pre-programmed to start the
auto-response function. For example, wireless phones 100 with
integral auto-response modules 108 may also include one or more
auto-response buttons 118 that would start the auto-response
function until further notice or user input. In block 314, any call
that was automatically responded to is logged so that the user may
see which calls were "missed," assuming caller ID/ANI information
was available. For example, a user could turn "on" the
auto-response function for two hours while at dinner, receive three
separate incoming phone calls, have the auto-response function
respond to each, and later see a log of the calls that were
automatically responded to in order to determine which, if any, to
which he or she should ultimately respond. One skilled in the art
will recognize that many options exist for creating a log of calls
received and all are within the scope of the invention. This
embodiment allows a user to auto-response any received calls
without any real-time action by the user, which also prevents the
wireless phone 100 from ringing and disturbing any other persons,
in addition to preventing the unnecessary accumulation of voice
mails.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting an auto-response of an incoming
telephone call in a second alternative embodiment of the invention.
The embodiment depicted in FIG. 4 is a modification of the
embodiment of FIG. 3. In block 402 of FIG. 4, the user requests
that incoming telephone calls be automatically responded to with a
text response. As in block 302, the user may request this function
by actuating a key or key sequence that is pre-programmed to start
the auto-response function. For example, wireless phones 100 with
integral auto-response modules 108 may also include one or more
auto-response buttons 118 that would start the auto-response
function until further notice. In block 406, the incoming call is
either sent to voice mail or ignored. Because the message will be
responded to via a text message, the call need not be connected.
The function continues in block 408, where the text message is
transmitted to the initiator of the incoming phone call. The text
message may be transmitted using any suitable protocol, such as
Short Message Service (SMS) or other protocols. In this embodiment,
a user could turn "on" the auto-response function for two hours
while at dinner, receive three separate incoming phone calls, have
the auto-response function respond to each with a text message and
send each call to voice mail, and see a log of the calls that were
automatically responded to in order to determine which, if any, to
which he or she should ultimately respond.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting an auto-response of an incoming
telephone call in a third alternative embodiment of the invention.
The embodiment depicted in FIG. 5 is another modification of the
embodiment of FIG. 2. The auto-response of FIG. 5, like that of
FIG. 2, may be used when a user has a wireless phone 100 that is
turned on and desires to ignore the call and have the call
automatically responded to. In block 504, a user actuates a key or
key sequence to request a particular pre-programmed auto-response
to an incoming phone call. For example, a user could select one of
multiple auto-response buttons 118 on their wireless phone 100 when
their phone starts ringing, which would stop the ringing of the
phone and initiate the appropriate auto-response sequence. In this
embodiment, the user may choose from multiple options for the
pre-programmed auto-response. For example, a user could have
different pre-programmed messages for family members, friends,
business associates, his or her boss, etc., and could select the
appropriate response based on caller ID and/or ANI information. In
this fashion, the auto-response could be customized for a variety
of situations. In yet another embodiment, the user could
pre-program messages for different situations, such as telling the
caller that the user is at dinner, at a movie, is indisposed, etc.
In another embodiment, the user could indicate when they will
respond (e.g., tell caller that will respond within an hour for
their boss but the next day for an in-law), who else to contact, to
press a key (e.g., `#` symbol) to leave a message, etc. The user
may choose from the multiple options by selecting one of the
auto-response buttons 118 that corresponds to the desired
auto-response.
In block 510, the selected auto-response message will play and be
transmitted over the voicepath, and in block 212 the telephone call
will be disconnected. In block 314, the call that was automatically
responded to is logged so that the user may see which calls were
"missed," assuming caller ID/ANI information was available.
Additionally, the particular auto-response that was used to respond
may also be logged.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting an auto-response of an incoming
telephone call in a fourth alternative embodiment of the invention.
The embodiment depicted in FIG. 6 is a modification and combination
of some of the previous embodiments. The auto-response function of
FIG. 6 may be used when a user has a wireless phone 100 and desires
to turn on the auto-response function for a period of time. In
block 604, the user may select a response algorithm. The response
algorithm is the methodology that will be used to determine which
of a plurality of auto-response will be used to respond to a
particular telephone call. One response algorithm could involve
searching a calendar or other database to compare the current time
with the planned event and choosing an appropriate auto-response.
For example, a user could have a calendar on their phone (available
on many phones as well as wireless phones with personal data
assistant (PDA) functionality) and have the response algorithm
query the calendar to determine where the user may be when a call
is received. In this embodiment, if a user is scheduled to be in a
meeting, an auto-response tells the caller that the user is in a
meeting, and will respond after the meeting. In another case, if a
user was at dinner (and that engagement was in the calendar), a
different and equally appropriate message could be used. A default
message could be used in cases where no engagement was in the
calendar. Time could also be a factor in the response
algorithm--after reviewing the calendar, it could be determined
that less than five minutes were left in a meeting and a message to
that effect could be used (e.g., "I'm currently in a meeting, but
should be able to call you within five minutes or so").
In another alternative embodiment, the user does not select the
response algorithm, but instead the response algorithm is
automatically chosen (which can also occur if there is only one
response algorithm). In one example, a calendar could be used
during the workday and a caller-based algorithm could be used at
other times. One skilled in the art will recognize that many
alternatives are possible and within the scope of the invention,
including different databases (such as a Web-based calendar
accessed by the wireless phone 100, a calendar on a Bluetooth or
other wireless-protocol linked PDA, a database of response based on
the caller that could be linked to entries in an address book),
different algorithms (based on caller identification, time of day,
scheduled activity, number of times that the user has called,
combinations of factors, etc.), etc.
In block 608, the function searches the appropriate database to
determine the desired response. As noted above, the appropriate
database could involve an integral calendar, appointment book, or
address book, a Web-based database, a database attached to the
wireless phone 100 via a module, a database in communication with
the wireless phone 100 via Bluetooth or another local wireless
protocol, etc.
One skilled in the art will recognize that any combination of the
above embodiments, as well as other embodiments, are possible and
within the scope of the invention. For example, text messaging may
be utilized with the embodiment describing selecting an
auto-response message from a group of auto-response messages,
perhaps by using a calendar or contact list.
FIG. 7 illustrates an auto-response selection page that may be used
with some of the above auto-response system embodiments. The
auto-response selection page 700 allows a user to select the style
and content of one or more auto-response messages that may be used
to respond to incoming telephone calls, and also allows a user to
configure the auto-response system. The auto-response selection
page 700 may be located on a display screen 110 of the wireless
phone 100, on a plug-in module 114, on a web page accessed from the
wireless phone 100, on a web page that may be used to synchronize
with a wireless phone 100 at occasional intervals, on a device
connected to the wireless phone 100 via a wireless protocol such as
Bluetooth, etc. One skilled in the art will recognize that many
alternative designs, connections, and configurations of the
auto-response selection page 700 are possible and within the scope
of the invention.
The auto-response selection page 700 includes activation fields, a
log field, auto-response message fields and selection algorithm
fields. The activation fields allow a user to activate and
deactivate the auto-response system. The log field allows a user to
see a log of messages that were automatically responded to so that
the user can decide whether to call the initiators of the call
back. The auto-response message fields allow a user to input either
a verbal message or a text message for each button. The buttons of
the auto-response message fields may correspond to auto-response
selection buttons 118 of the wireless phone 100. Button A indicates
that a recorded verbal message is already saved in the system, and
provides a way of allowing a user to change the message if desired.
Button B indicates that no message is recorded for that button, but
an option for a user to record a message is provided. Buttons C, D,
E, and F all indicate that a text message has been entered and
saved, but verbal messages could also be recorded and saved for
each button. The selection algorithm fields provide the user with
the option of selecting a selection algorithm to be used in
determining which auto-response message will be played to the
caller associated with an incoming telephone call. For example, a
user could choose a calendar-based selection algorithm that would
cause the auto-response system to review the user's calendar (being
stored on the phone, on a Web site, or anywhere) and choose the
auto-response message that was appropriate. In another depicted
example, the algorithm would choose the auto-response message based
on contacts. The user could, for instance, set up the algorithm to
use one button (or message) for family, friends, work contacts,
unknown callers, telemarketers, etc.
The auto-response system provides a number of potential benefits.
For example, users may utilize the system to prevent their wireless
phone from ringing in appropriate circumstances, such as when they
are in a public place. The auto-response system improves on the
traditional method of simply turning off the phone, as voice mail
messages are not accumulated. Moreover, selections algorithms may
be used to customize the auto-response depending on the activity of
the user, the identity of the caller, etc., providing a more
flexible and useful solution than voice mail systems. The
auto-response system also eliminates the need for users to
constantly change their outgoing message on their voicemail.
Those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that the
invention can be practiced with various telecommunications or
computer system configurations, including Internet appliances,
hand-held devices, wearable computers, palm-top computers, cellular
or mobile phones, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or
programmable consumer electronics, set-top boxes, network PCs,
mini-computers, mainframe computers, and the like. Aspects of the
invention can be embodied in a special purpose computer or data
processor that is specifically programmed, configured, or
constructed to perform one or more of the computer-executable
instructions explained in detail herein. Indeed, the term
"computer," as used generally herein, refers to any of the above
devices, as well as to any data processor. Data structures and
transmission of data particular to aspects of the invention are
also encompassed within the scope of the invention. In general,
while hardware platforms such as stationary and mobile devices are
described herein, aspects of the invention are equally applicable
to nodes on the network having corresponding resource locators to
identify such nodes.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the
description and the claims, the words "comprise," "comprising," and
the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an
exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of
"including, but not limited to." Words using the singular or plural
number also include the plural or singular number respectively.
Additionally, the words "herein," "above," "below," and words of
similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this
application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this
application. Use of the term "or," as used in this application with
respect to a list of two or more items, shall be interpreted to
cover any, all, or any combination of items in the list.
The above detailed descriptions of embodiments of the invention are
not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the
precise form disclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and
examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative
purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the
scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will
recognize. The teachings of the invention provided herein may be
applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described
herein. The various embodiments described herein can be combined to
provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to
the invention in light of the detailed description.
These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of
the above detailed description. In general, the terms used in the
following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to
the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the
above detailed description explicitly defines such terms.
Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses the
disclosed embodiments and all equivalent ways of practicing or
implementing the invention under the claims.
While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in
certain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects
of the invention in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the
inventors reserve the right to add additional claims after filing
the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other
aspects of the invention.
* * * * *